


The Differences Between Escorts and Costumed Balls

by ghostdreaming



Series: Solving A Murder In Four Or More Universes [1]
Category: The Dresden Files - All Media Types
Genre: AU of a AU, Alternate Universe - Canon, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Gender Changes, F/M, Harry can't tell 'professional outfits' from haute coture ones, Harry's ID knows better, I Can't Believe I Wrote This, I Don't Even Know, I wonder if Lea is also Harry's grandmother, Lea is either confused or cunning here, Past Attempted Rape/Non-Con, What Was I Thinking?, bad disguises, bad-mouthed crooks, boy!Susan(Stu), but only hinted about and alluded to, girl!Harry, illegal poaching by crooks refered to, it got past off as having just been trash talk, main story will be m/m and f/f, over-the-top costumes, pre-Harry/John, prostitution and prostitutes mentined, rating for possible future scenes, some OCs, this might be a side snippit of a larger story
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-24
Updated: 2014-03-31
Packaged: 2018-01-16 22:16:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 5,926
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1363672
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ghostdreaming/pseuds/ghostdreaming
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It was all Stu's fault. He was the one who claimed Marcone had recently acquired some new magical possession. Harry was the one who had to get in the place quietly, to do the actual investigating, without being recognized and caught. Or starting a fire. It was a bad idea from the start- even before Lea helped her with the disguise.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [mitsukai613](https://archiveofourown.org/users/mitsukai613/gifts).



> This is my very first attempt ever at posting anything. It is also seriously unedited and not beta read! At least not until I learn, among other things, how to send it to the wonderful and absolutely amazing mitsukai613 who has very generously agreed to help and who's extremely kind encouragements got me here( plus writes Harry/John fics that I adore).   
> This is hopefully going to be a prelude, or something, to a longer multiple au, time travel, alternate reality travel, murder mystery, story where they have to prevent a murder from not only repeating itself but also never happening in the first place *Whew!*  
> This will be different from canon in a lot of ways. There are some huge changes in Harry's past and present ( like Harry being a girl, and Susan being Stu, but not because of gender). Also my Dresden Files trivia isn't the best.   
> Okay.  
> Hope you enjoy!

It was all Stu's fault.

"This is all your fault. Just so you know in case you were wondering."

The intrepid reporter, and my maybe sort of boyfriend, naturally completely ignored my bitching in favor of gawping my get-up. Stars and Stones it wasn't like I didn't know that not even all the fancy things and sexifying tricks that were out there could be of any help for me. He was the one who wanted to sneak into and poke around one of John Marcone's places investigating a rumor that the mob boss had some kind of magical artifact stashed away ( which I highly doubted since I would have been able to sense it if it was significant and have already blasted my way in to try and confiscate it before something bad could happen). 

"Wow." There was something odd about how he said it so I probably should be grateful he wasn't admitting the revelation that I made one ugly hooker...I mean escort- whatever those fancy girls, and boys, who make a living out of being arm-candy are called. ( No I most certainly was not usually paying too much attention to one particular criminal scumbag to be able to remember what any woman near him was wearing! Anyone who says differently is totally lying!) And come to think of it - am I disguised like one of Marcone's clients or some type of employee? Eh, whatever.

"So where did you get all this from anyway?"

What? Oh right the clothes. "A gift from a friend of my parents." Turns out the only thing scarier than a member of the Sidhe as your faerie godmother, who used to talk to you when you were a child about wanting to literally turning you into her pet hound, was one who decided that she owes you a life debt that she could never do enough to repay. Yeah it makes no sense to me either. My vote is she that she took a extra hard blow to the head and never recovered from the brain scrambling it caused( head injuries are real kickers for side effects I know from my own experiences). But I can't say for certain...... cause I don't remember what happened. At all. Just that DuMorne, my foster parent, trying to use me and my foster sister to do something...evil. Then a big load of nothing. Next thing I'm aware of is being in a hell of a lot of pain and a bunch of people bellowing about things being impossibilities, nothing left, and that the seasons were gone ( yeah well that's what kind of crazy nonsense it had sounded like they were saying but that's a head injury for ya). Oh, and a lot snarling about a warlock and pure evil they wanted to do away with- by which as it turned out they meant me. Turned out they were a group called the White Council. All in all it was a great, or not, introduction to those who claimed authority in the wizarding world. Don't remember a lot of details for most of that either. Everything kept going all fuzzy, the stone floor was cold and wet against my cheek, and my heart was going so fast in my chest I though it would simple explode....Then Lea was suddenly there banishing at least some of the pain( Eb told me later that she had removed the Thorn Manacles), sliding me on to her lap to hold and warm my frozen self against usually comparatively cool flesh that had seemed furnace hot at the time, to sit there singing quietly while rocking me. I remember her looking a little dazed and too much like a bright orange kitten that some bullies had tried to torture with firecrackers.....

She and Eb had really saved my bacon at my trial so, after very firmly deciding that Stu would not be the one to pick out my spy clothes for this little endeavor, I turned to her. Okay not without a boatload of second, third, and fortieth thoughts but Stars and Stones she's my godmother and a zillion times more likely to understand about all the fashion stuff and their meanings, uses, and whatever else about it all as well as every possible thing one would need also ( it was beyond me that's for sure) and probably have it all already kept tucked away in some infinitely endless clothing wardrobe hidden inside a walnut or something ( the fay are big on stuff like that) ready for her to magically pull out and stuff my awkward frame into. Unless, of course, it turned out that Lea's perceptions were stuck a few centuries out of date. In which case I was pretty sure even I would be able to tell it wasn't right and come up with a different plan.

I almost bailed anyway. Hells fucking Bells, I had to explain to my godmother that I wanted to look like a call-girl! Actually, I think what I managed to sputter out was something like wanting to ' Look like the kind of woman that someone like Marcone kept for his pleasure'. Not the most precise way to have phrased it I know, but Marcone's got a lot of people of all sorts working for him, and Lea seemed to be having a remarkably difficult time with understanding what the situation was. Once she did though she was absolutely giddy about it. Like scarily so. Who knows why but I know I don't ever, ever want to find out....probably.

So now I'm standing on a street corner, in the middle of the night, a block from my target, and looking utterly ridicules in something horrifyingly reveling ( better move quick the last thing I need on top of everything else is to be arrested for indecent exposure- again) and yet also had all these frothy piles of way too much fabric to control. Thank stars there was also a big, heavy, warm, and yet also another overly space filling coat/ cloak/ blanket/ wrap- thingy that had been a compromise after I had rather insisted on having something to cover up with so I wouldn't get frost-bite( though I still think I might). There were also these pair of stilts that pretended to be shoes that I have absolutely no idea of how real hooker can manage to even walk in. The only reason I  was able to do so, instead of having instantly broke both my ankles at the first step, was courtesy of Lea's magic.  

Yep, scanty, outlandish, and overloaded with jewels- sounds just like a really high-class call-girl to me!

I can't believe I doing this.

I think maybe I'm going to have to really re-evaluate my relationship with Stu. Sure he'd been able to put up with more than anyone else I've ever met had before when it came to having something like an actual relationship with me. He even finds me attractive enough to be able to have sex with. And so far I've been able to keep him safe from any supernatural craziness....but for how much longer.....

"Stars and Stones let's get this over with." If I took to long Stu was going to get impatient and try to sneak in himself- he still might anyway.

I stepped off the curb.

"Go get 'em Lois Lane!"

Really going to rethink the whole boyfriend thing.

  

 

    

 

 

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to the wonderful people who left kudos and kind comments!  
> Still not edited -but mitsukai613 * Waves excitedly* and I are working on that.  
> While not right out said this part does hint of a very nasty Attempted Non-Con. I repeat just to give fair warning here  
> Attempted Non-Con is alluded to in this part!!!!  
> You can blame canon for its source. But in this reality things are mixed around in parts and stuff happens in a different orders, sooner, or not a all as a result. So that incident, as well as certain others, gets prevented from being as bad as it was in canon.

 

One very long block ( I'm not kidding the thing was trying to secretly go for a record or something), and a couple of dozen brand new blisters, later I finally reached the latest temple to temptation that was courtesy of the (very undisputed) leader of Chicago's criminal underbelly. And Hells Bells was the thing crazy looking! An imposing high-faluting cross between medieval cathedral, ancient temples, and some airy possibly new-age kind of style. Johnny's places tended to be diverse, wide ranging, far flung affairs strategized to death insuring that they get all the demographs nicely covered for fleecing. Though his actual bordellos were usually less blindingly prominent and more with the whole modest discretion ideal that comes from the intention of not actually wanting the cops obtaining evidence for shutting the place down and carting everyone's asses off to jail. I'd had to listen more than once while Murphy ranted from the frustration over the department's attempts failing due to not being able to get pinpoints on such low-key targets. This damned thing on the other hand wouldn't have looked out of place in the Nevernever....  

Instantly I wished that comparison hadn't ever crossed my mind. Bad things took the opening not hesitating to surge up filling my guts with lead and my throat with cement. The building before me looked nothing like Bianca's. There was no actual resemblance what so ever. But _fucking hell_ the damned memory of that place had it floating in front of my eyes like some vengeful malicious ghost. Oh Stars and Stones, some big brave wizard I turned out to be - standing there frozen in terror over a thing long over and done! Hells Bells nothing even really happened! I'd been roughed up, beaten-up, beat-down, tossed around and even through things countless times before and after, even nearly been killed far to often by any sane person's reckoning, yet a party full of red court vamps who didn't get past wild threats still jumps out of nowhere to bite me when I'm least expecting it! Talk about being a real screw-up. Hey at least I'm a live one. That counts for something. I lived. They died. You don't get much better proof of victory than leaving the monsters as smoking piles of ash.

My moment of self-pity done I, Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden was ready to take on the world( and yes as a matter of fact it really is Harry- never Harriet -if you don't believe me I can show you a special doesn't-let-anyone-magically-use-my-name copy of my Birth Certificate). Or in this case one giant set of doors. In double time too since joy of joys I now had a nice sheen of cold perspiration evaporating off my skin in the cool night breeze. And certain places that had been removed of all their hair which had never before been defollicleized  were beginning to not only chafe but itch like you would not believe. Stars and Stones even whatever I had for underwear had joined in the ganging-up against me! Some twitching, little bit of shimmying, and squirming....just made it worse. The calluses on my fingers snagged on the silky soft stuff as I did a lightning fast bit of furtive tugging as I navigated my way up the low staircase. My fingers twitched clenching around the empty space in my hand were my blasting rod belonged acutely aware of just how underpowered I was going in. No staff, no shield bracelet, no blasting rod, they were too readily and easily identifiable as mine. My unfortunate height was a bit of a obvious definition but hopefully the shoes and the rest of Lea's glamour will muddle things for long enough. As preferable, and satisfying, as banging into one of Marcone's places and blowing a flaming path through it was to daydream about it was a surefire way to end up dead. And it wouldn't get Stu his story or me the truth about the claimed to be magic something-or-nother that was supposed to be there. So disguise it was and I'd be in and out without a fight before anyone knew better.

Despite being only a little under seven feet tall in my socks ( and hated by door lintels almost everywhere), and who knows how high in the shoes of magical godmother revenge, the door not only gave no trouble but there also remained enough clearance space for at least one other person between the top of my head and the top of the doorway arch- okay sure it would have had to be a rather short person but it was still plenty of air.

Inside, which turned out to be a big deserted space, I found the soaring ceilings were just as forgiving. Very open feeling. With the long, wide, polished stone corridors disappearing into the distance.( Hells Bells! Just how many blocks did this monstrosity take up anyway?) Shiny metal supporting tons of glass. And there was a huge collection of plants. Like the insides of a greenhouse or an arboretum. Lots of light and color. It felt really warm and happy. And not that kind that is a incredibly sweet insistent inviting that hides a rank darkness beneath the surface either. There was just a sense of pleased greeting- as stupid as that sounds that was the feeling. It made me feel good without trying to make me feel like it was making me feel good. And believe me that made it so much better. After it was long enough that any trap to be sprung on me would have already gone off and made itself evident. In which I had remained undisturbed not hearing so much as an echo of anyone else being nearby. I relaxed, wariness making way for simple wonder, taking a quick stolen moment to enjoy myself. 

Reaching up my fingers wrapped in rainbows and sunbeams.

Beautiful.

 

 

  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wasn't originally planning to pause it here but this thing is doing whatever it wants and I'm just trying to follow everybody as they run amuck.  
> Sorry its so short.
> 
> But next up (hopefully) is Johnny's pov!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> John's POV

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think I probably should warn everybody now that its looking like this little romp doesn't so much end as stop and flip over to the actual story. I don't know why my imagination did it that way but it did. *Shrugs* Hopefully it will make sense later.  
> The editing will get worked out.

"Boss, I think you should take a look at the security monitors."

I hummed a soft inquiry without taking my attention off the activity taking place in the rest of the room. As he was one of my oldest and closest friends I could read the unsettled emotions that Nathan was feeling beneath the slightly tense but not yet worried persona of my right hand man Mr. Hendricks. That meant what ever it was it was still only a potential possible problem or issue.

He slid his computer pad next to my drink on the table its screen already opened to the recorded file of the desired footage. "Ms. Dresden was spotted in the Arbor-Terrarium."

Oh. Well that certainly presented an interesting unscheduled testing for the newly installed magical surge protection equipment.

The Arbor-Terrarium was in an entirely different section of the building. Completely on the exact opposite side of the complex from the lounge I was entertaining some of my out of town guests in at the moment. It was also still under construction. At the moment only a fraction of the plants and none of the animals had been initiated into their designated places. There was also the matter of some malfunctioning sunlamps.

I could not fathom what business Dresden could conceive to have there. Or why she declined making use of my front doors when not theatrically destroying them. Despite the seemingly rather foolish amount of risk, and Mr. Hendricks' worried grumblings, I had made it a point of having her listed with the front desk as being allowed executive access with my personal permission. But then her actions tended toward the erratic at even the best of times.

Her godmother's equally perplexing missive weighed heavy on my thoughts. They were congratulations on winning my wizard. But I was not about to leap to any unconfirmed conclusions when it came to Harry. I would not risk the possibility of offending her and having her take her rage out in gratuitous property damage in repayment of the perceived insult or damage the little actual progress with her that I had managed so far to make. 

Intrigued I tapped the play button.

And there was Harry

 

"John!" Nathan's sharp snapping of my name jolted me back to my surroundings.

"What?" I couldn't entirely repress the bit of growl in my own tone.

" Sorry boss, but you kind of zoned out there for a moment." he sounded worried.

" Where did she go after that?" Harry was naturally and stubbornly inclined to tee-shirts, that were in conditions that a clothes charity wouldn't accept for any use other than rags, and maybe a few other bargain brand convenience store selections with off the rack blue jeans that were all both too wide and too short for her special order measurements.

"Strait to the far north wing." Good. That was the general public's central area for the legitimate history, fantasy and science fiction fans. Highly active in conventions, art fairs, theatrical productions, group meetings, and like they were a financially rewarding collection of subcultures. Overall tolerant and accepting the friendly area was ideal for Harry to be able to safely blend in out of trouble. A side benefit to the supernatural and magical branches of my business dealing was the ability to entertain peaceful inhuman guests without having them painfully and dangerously stand out in the crowds.

My sense of relief was premature. I Nathan's broad shoulders tensed into rock hard mountains his hand abortively lifting in the direction of his earbud.

"Where is she now?"

"Making a beeline for the office. How in hell did she suddenly get all the way over there?" 

"A very good question. I believe we should ask her." I rose from my seat signaling Stephanos to keep watch on our guests insuring they continue remaining well behaved with the staff.

"Aw crap." I whipped back around to Hendricks eyes narrowing when he hesitated at immediately answering my unvoiced question.

" Her clothes are coming off."

 

 

 

  

 

  

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully I haven't messed it up.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Back to Harry's POV again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I keep adding stuff when I should be figuring out the editing...so uh sorry.

 

Hells Bells this place's a maze!

My handy-dandy extra special little magic detector that Bob and I put together just for this field trip was singing like a choir of emergency vehicles heading for a rush hour interstate pile-up, only without the pretty flashing lights, didn't want to be too noticeable after all, and I was the only person who had the joy of being forced to endure the caterwauling that would've almost put my cat Mister to shame( the last time I came home late for feeding him he convinced half my neighbors I was summoning demons from the Dungeon Diminutions and the other half to call the cops thinking they finally had proof that I was some sort of deranged wacko serial killer). There was magic happening somewhere here and it wasn't just the orgasmic kind rumored also going on behind the hidden curtain. Not that this wizard had any desire what-so-ever to see the 'Great and Powerful Ruler ' over this particular Oz. No siree Bob I'm no-one's flying monkey and don't need him making up his mind to start dropping houses on me either.

Lets see, I'd already checked the indoor jungle and the perpetual Comic-Con( including every inch of the books and comics store, and even made a couple of purchases....yeah I'm a geek deal with it, but nothing screamed 'artifact of awesome power' ( well okay in truth the entire inventory of the Fantasy section did but that was only atmosphere you know).

Now if I was one of Marcone's dirty little naughty secrets where would I be?

I scoped out my location. Annnnnd jackpot! Paunchy balding guy in a suit just walked in with a arm around a gal a third his age, with a impressively top-heavy figure, and positively no resemblance between then! Not to mention but- Holy Cats is that a dress or a bathing suit! She could of course have been Humpty-Dumpty there's trophy wife- but he was looking a little too fugitive around the eyes and a whole lot of hungry plus.......she weren't wearing no wedding ring and he was!

I'd just follow my new leads and let them lead me strait to the goal easy peasy like.

Damn, it looks like Lea and I might have missed the target a bit with the dress. Oh well, I'd already had some coat check butler type take away my cover-up thing a couple of spots after the fiction paradise back anyway. And later I had lost a chunk of frilliness when I'd accidently stepped on the skirt, and there had been a snag or something on that one corner, and when it had gotten caught in a escalator-.....yeah, well let's see you try maneuvering something like a zillion feet of dragging carnival tent! Stars and Stones the dumb thing weighed tons! I may or may not have taken a little too much vindictive pleasure in tearing off more of the hellish garment in order to match Miss Pin-Up's micro of a mini. Uh...oops. Maybe I was a little too enthusiastic there. I think I might have just....er I guess it'll be okay the tears couldn't have really been all that bad. Sort of artistic. Yeah.

Leaving the evidence of my impromptu wardrobe adjustments, reminding me a bit too much like the discarded feathers of a plucked chicken for my peace of mind, safely stashed out of the way in the corner I had ducked into, I ventured forth with my new swimsuit dress look. Wonder if I could get a towel to go with?

"Excuse me." A rather winded sounding female voice huffed rather pointedly interrupting my quickly becoming boring counting of the locked doors I was passing. Murphy short. Long red hair pulled up. Hour-glass figure. And carrying a towering armful of garment bags. The little plastic tag swinging from a band on one wrist lit up as it was illuminated by a scanner in the wall.

The scanner blurped." Damn this stupid thing!" Frustrated the woman shifted her load holding the tag to bring it closer to the wall scanner.

Knowing that it was probably my fault I tightened my hold on my magic trying to mute it enough not to fry the nearby electronices. There was a beep and with a click the door popped open.

"Oh I'm sorry! Here you go, let me just get the door for you," I snagged the handle pulling the steel door wide for her. I would have done it anyway, I was raised to be polite that way, but in this case I had rather ulterior motives. I ducked though after following her in.

"Thanks. By the way nice shoes. That- Are you okay?"

Um. Oh oh, why is she suddenly sounding suspisious? "Yeah. Why?"

" You look a little ripped-up. Did someone do that to you? Do you need me to call security? That kind of behavior has to be reported right away! Just last week some piece of shit thought he was allowed to be rough with Ricky-!."

Shit! This was not heading in a good direction at all! "No! No, its not what you're thinking! There was no-one! I'm completely fine. Its supposed to look like that!"

"It is?" Her nose wrinkled.

"Yes!" Hells Bells I was trying to avoid Marcone's goon squad the last thing I needed was to calling them!

"Okaaay." Wow, did she have to sound that unimpressed. "Just remember the Boss doesn't allow any of that crap. No matter what you're wearing. The customers are only allowed what you've agreed to."

"That's good to know." Okay this conversation had become a new high in embarrassing. Also I'm positive that someone had also taken the opportunity to crank the heat in the room. Just because Miss Helpful Bunny there didn't seem like she was at all affected so doesn't count nah ah nope not at all.

"Are you sure you don't want to talk to someone? Go down to HR or maybe Mr. Hendricks' office?"

Cujo has a office? Huh, might be more to him than I thought. "And Mr. Marcone's would be righ by Mr. Hendicks' right?" Stars, it was so hard not to snicker when calling them that! It made them sound like we were neighbors someplace out in the burbs. Hilarious really.

Hells Bells it was like a switch got thrown! She went all damn snake-eyed on me. "Don't even think of trying to make any play for the Boss. He doesn't do the help- at all."

"Oh, that's good." Wait, he doesn't? Huh.That really is truly rather gentlemanly isn't it. Kinda noble.......you know for a criminal scumbag and everything. Anyway he has women left and right falling allover themselves over him- he doesn't need to have to pay for it.

" Hey did you hear me!"

Oopsies!"Uh, yeah. Yeah. I'm just gonna.. go now..to AR or whatever...I think...yup. Bye!"

I bolted like I had a dragon after my scrawny little wizard ass.

I wished I could take off my stupid stilt shoes, so I wouldn't look quite so much like a circus act, but whatever fiendish method they were designed with for keeping them on was not about to let me unlock the secrets to getting them off.

After carefully and innocently asking a few more people, who were more than happy to help some poor new girl delivering a message to Mr. Marcone's office (I.e. me), I found were I was looking for. Finally!

And even better- no one was around that I had to worry about.

Even if the stupid top of the doorway did smack me in the head. I'm telling you the thing did it on purpose too! What! What do you mean you don't believe me- what's not to believe about that? 

Johnny's office. Nice. All clean lines and minimalistic uber over-expensiveness. Lots of smooth shiny surfaces I wanted to put smeary fingerprints all over...

Oooooh, file-cabinet! Victory!

Now let's see what kind of stuff we can find in here!

I started rummaging. Even opening files to make sure nothing was hidden in them or put under false labels. 

But I was finding zip. And my magic detector had zipped it's lips so to speak.

Stars and Stones there's got to be something worthwhile here! 

The unexpected voice abruptly and oh so unpleasantly booming from behind me probably scared several years off of my life.

Not helped by the knowledge that my prospects of having any more years in which to be living my life had just taken a sudden and complete nosedive.

"Holy Shit, Johnny! What have you got here?" 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So tired right now and I have a long day of work tomorrow!


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The POV of a, very bad, visiting 'business associate'.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ugg, please bear with me on the editing thing! Its all my fault -but I'm having the worst luck with getting software to make sense to me or co-operate!
> 
> Lot's of swear words and nasty disgustin thoughts from a low-life individual in this part!

Holy shit!

There was some half- make that mostly naked babe waiting in Johnny's office!

Explained why he wasn't lookin interested in the other girls earlier. Never made no sense to me but some guys are like that when they've gotten themselves a favorite bit of ass.

Me, I prefer having endless variety to my options. Somethin both my wife and my mistresses really need to stop hackin on with me bout 'for I offload the whole stupid lot and start fresh!

We were in Chicago. Which meant dealing with Don Marcone. Someone really ought to tell that bastard that there already is a Saint John and it ain't him! An even if there weren't- who the fuck cares bout a buncha little birdies! Rare animals are cash cows with brainless morons who have more money than they know what to do with and the gullibility to think they're displaying themselves as the heights of superiority instead of the easy mark to get milked for all they're worth by us good opportunist. So what if the fuckin things end up extinct! I don't care. The 'future' can just deal with being deprived. I got here first and I can take and use everything and leave it no good when I'm gone if I wanna! Things like no more pretty tweet-tweeting in nature means big dollar signs for limited supplies to businessmen in this line of work.

Except apparently if you're fucking Don 'Gentleman Johnny' Marcone! Doesn't have the balls to get in on the action yet manages to fuck my system all to hell by slowing me down cause I have to friggin go around his town. And people are fricken scared of his disapproval. Do you know how much business I lost just cause Johnny let it be known he didn't look kindly on it! One client up and died of a goddamnned heart attack after finding out!

And since the last thing I could afford was havin a war with Marcone, I had to find a way to either work out a deal with him.... or take him out.

Though I gotta say, the man does know how to treat a guest real good.

I had just spent a real good fifteen minutes with a couple a fine choice girls who knew how to appreciate having themselves a real man. Couldn't help thinking bout how those sweet pets were gonna need themselves someone new to look after them when Johnny was gone.....

When the bastard and one of his guards near ran me over!

They weren't out right running or nothing but something was sure up, an you don't live long in this world without knowing how to pick up on stuff.

"What's going on?"

"That's what I would like to know." Ha! Johnny boy might be able to weasel his way out of a confrontation with one guy but right now he's out numbered! Marcone might think he's a big man but even he's not dumb enough ta try defying both 'Jumping' Joey Milan or Mike Romeario Sr. along with their boys and me.

"My apologies, a slight personal matter of a rather time sensitive nature has come up. Pardon me, I shall be only a few moments." Johnny was all cool and smooth like a freakin ice-cube. He was fricken practically dismissing us! 'Course this was his place and we might a had him and his chief muscle boxed in but he had a lot more people here that would be on their way incase things heated up.

"Would this have anything to do with a reported intruder?" Mr. Milan spoke up.

What!

"There is no intruder." Johnny didn't even blink.

" I am relieved to hear that. As we do have business to discuss." Wait, right now?

"We do indeed."

" We should in fact see to getting it out of the way so we can all return to more relaxing diversions." Mr. Romeario continued his stare like a blank wall.

Am I missing something here?

"I agree. Shall we?"

" I think your office would be the most appropriate, don't you Mr. Marcone? Unless there is a problem?"

 "None."

Johnny's office was nice as far as offices went. Bit boring. The only hint of mess was the corner of a book sticking out from behind the back of the couch and a shiny piece of lost bling at its foot that proved the guy put the furniture and at least one girl to good use.  

Once inside the bodyguards, except Marcone's, moved to continue their sweep of the place.

The guy in front of me opened the door to the connecting file room.

And there she was. 

Johnny it turns out had to have been ducking out of the room for nips of suga the entire time we were here.

Someone probably should have told her that putting your clothes back on doesn't hide that you've just woken up after recovering from a earlier good really hard screwing- specially when its obvious that the things had gotten destroyed when they'd been ripped right on off ya!

I go for knockers. This chick didn't really have any. John was clearly a leg man and this girl had the fucking longest set of legs ya could never even dream of on her! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And all that came out of one line in my notes!


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Back to John's pov.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I'm down to the last five or six sentences of story notes for this pre/side/ parallel whatever this is to the main story.  
> 

Butterfly wings mustn't be touched. To do so permanently and irreparably damages them fatally crippling the Butterfly.

A cruel fact of nature that had come to my mind on first meeting Harry. So strong. So very powerful, forceful, and resilient. But to capture her would be to crush her. The world is deprived enough. To loose the miraculous gifts of both her devoted guardianship of it and the beauty of her unique soul was a loss life could never afford. 

And yet on her own she was clearly hell bent on flying to her destruction.

That encounter with those werewolves being a excellent case in point if I had still needed any proof in confirming that. 

Whipping off my suit jacket I immediately wrapped it around that incredibly tall, yet so sparse as to be near substanceless, frame in order to provide her with a somewhat more decent, or at minimal adequate, covering. I didn't allow myself the distraction of that smooth creamy skin. Or those millions of miles long legs that just kept going on and on and on requiring several eternities to appreciatively gaze at them in all their full entirety. Or those widened black eyes as innocent as a fawn, as fierce as a angry hawk, and with the depths of the heavens. The way her reed-thin upper arm was eclipses by his encircling hand so entirely that his thumb was easily overlapping his fingers. 

What was sure to inevitably come issuing from those soft delicate lips was what would most likely require handling. Even as I assisted her up, from were she had been crouched down on her knees, beside a mostly closed bottom drawer of one of the file cabinets, her verbal weaponry of war readying to open fire.

I deemed it best to curtail her efforts to throw herself in to an even more dangerous situation before it escalated to the point were there were numerous bodily injuries and destroyed property.

With my free hand I took one of her callused, but calligraphy line-edge fine, ones politely kissing the back of it. "My apologies dear, I'm afraid that a business matter has come up."

Gratifyingly the outcome was not in her instantaneously setting me physically aflame.

Though it did result in her tripping over those astronomically extreme platform shoes of hers.

As a consequence I ended up with the unexpected benefit of having my desired wizard at last in my arms.

I glanced up from the sight of where the pentagram, that hung around her neck, had slipped to nestle in the hollow of her throat. " Are you alright?"

"Are you under a spell?" The suspicion and confusion in Harry's eyes became searching more agitated.

From among our onlookers came a rather purposeful throat clearing.

"Mr. Hendricks, please escort Harry to a more appropriate location while she waits for me to rejoin her." 

After attempting to set her on her feet again only caused her to wobble and fall back into me it occurred to me there might be yet another dilemma. "Harry?"

" I can't get these damn shoes off!"

That did not sound encouraging. "Are they cursed?" If they were that could change everything that had happened so far tonight....

"What? No, they're fancy!" I felt the corner of my mouth quirk upwards at the depths of disgust in her voice on that word.

"Well in that case." I let Nathan steady her balance while sank to my knees.

"Mr. Marcone." My other guests seemed to have thought I had forgotten their continued presence when I had in fact been more than all too aware that we weren't alone.

"This will only be a moment." Beneath my careful touch Harry trembled slightly.

The buckles in question turned out to be the size of the numbers on a cellphone keypad. Getting them unhooked I moved back to let Nathan lift Harry out and off.

She sighed in relief when her actual feet finally hit the carpeting. " Oh, Stars and Stones that feels so much better!" 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can you believe I got all six of these chapters out of only two notebook pages of scribbled notes!


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Unknown POV

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the end till the real story!

The alarms had already been blaring.

But they didn't cover the sounds of the gunfire.

The cry went up that there was somebody dead.

Somebody had died.

Yes, there was a body.

Or bodies?

But no-one would say who. 

 

 

 

                                                                                               **To Be Continued................**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So that's this part.  
> Sorry about the abruptness.

**Author's Note:**

> Ugh, looks that's all the farther I'm going to be able to get in one go.  
> Hopefully it wasn't too horrible.  
> Thanks for reading!


End file.
